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The Melbourne Storm have often been criticised for not using locally born and bred players since their inception into the NRL in 1998. But in reality, it was always going to take many years before this was to happen.
Since 1908, rugby league in Australia has done pretty well with all recruitment from New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT, with some players over the years coming through the Northern Territory system, and of course, in the last 20 years we’ve seen more juniors coming out of the New Zealand and Pacific Islands region.
But Victoria has been a untapped resource.
With the huge numbers of football and Aussie Rules juniors, and even rugby union’s numbers, rugby league has missed out on so many potential players.
But the tide is changing.
The junior system is now getting better, and not just the Storm, but the game in general will benefit from the talent that is on offer.
The Storm’s under 18 SG Ball team, which was over 70 percent local born and bred players, reached the grand final in 2009 and so far in 2010 is doing just as well.
The 2010 Melbourne Storm’s Toyota Cup Under 20’s hosts three players who have come through the junior system in Melbourne: Lucas Grech, Robbie Kurth and Young Tonumaipea, with Grech and Kurth, playing since 2003, joining their local club at the under 12’s level.
These three young men are modern day pioneers for the game.
It could be one of these guys or players in the SG Ball squad by the names of Emanuel Carlos, Mahe Fonua or another cross coder in Cameron Hansen who made headlines the same week of the Karmichael Hunt switch to the new Gold Coast AFL side, with Cameron deciding he wanted to go with rugby league and not Australian Rules Football.
The fans love watching guys like Billy Slater, Greg Inglis and Cameron Smith, but it’s the bond between local fans with local players that will get more kids not only watching rugby league in Victoria, but telling mum and dad, “I want to play this game, so I can be like my hero.”
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